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Gloster Meteor F.8 Prone Pilot (72424) 1:72 Special Hobby With the increase in speed of early Jet fighters a different command position than sitting was being looked at. By lying prone it was thought the pilots would be less susceptible to G forces. Another advantage would be that the front section of the aircraft would have a lower profile. Bristol looked to adopt this for their rocket powered fighter, and as such the RAF needed this to be tested. WK935 the last production Meteor was to be modified as a test bed. While the standard cockpit was retained a new lower profile prone cockpit was placed on the nose of the aircraft. A Meteor NF.12 tail unit was also placed on the aircraft for better control. It was found that the pilot was less susceptible to G forces flying like this, however situational awareness and in particular reward visibility was severely limited. In addition while flying prone the pilot could not sit in an ejection seat and would be forced to jettison the rudder control and climb backwards to an escape hatch. It was ruled these two factor outweighed the advantages of prone flight. The aircraft now site preserved at RAF Cosford if you wish to see a truly unique Meteor. The Kit This is the the MPM kit re-issued by Special Hobby with a new sprue of parts for the nose and tail, plus a new clear spure. The MPM kit is of the higher short run variety but builds into a nice kit with care. First up the main, and front prone cockpits are built up. Following this the nose and tail of the F.8 fuselage are removed. Not shown on the instructions is that any remains of the nose guns will have to be removed and filled/sanded as needed as these were just flat panels on this aircraft. The instructions then show the new nose and tail parts being attached to each fuselage half before the cockpits go in. I suspect most modellers will glue these parts together before then attempting to add them to the main fuselage. Even with the extra nose on this one I would also put some extra weight in to be sure it sits nose down. The underside of the main cockpit forms the front wheel well and the nose gear can then be built up and added in here. With the fuselage together the tailplanes can now be fixed on. Moving to the main wings the wheel wells are attached to the lower wing. In each nacelle the engine front and airflow splitter over the main spar is added. Then the wings can be joined and added to the main fuselage. The main gear can be assembled and added to aircraft, along with the intake lips and exhausts. The instructions show drop tanks being added, though in all the pictures of WK935 I have seen it is flying without them. The last steps in construction are to add the canopies, a couple of aerials and the pitot tube. Decals Markings are for WK935 only. With national insignia, serial numbers, and stencils only. The decals are nicely printed and look quite thin and glossy. Conclusion This is the only kit in 1.72 for this unusual aircraft, recommended if you like Meteors, or prototype/one off airframes. Review sample courtesy of

My first build will be MPM F.8 Prone. Ever since I saw it at RAF Cosford I have want to build one, as I like odd looking experimental planes. Will post the sprue shots when I start, as they are still sealed in the plastic bag.

Gloster Meteor F8 "Prone Pilot", WK925 preserved at RAF Cosford. Pics thanks to Steve.